


from the sideline

by ugliegay



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Birthday Fluff, First Kiss, M/M, it's suga's birthday so i Had Too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-13 21:40:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11193993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ugliegay/pseuds/ugliegay
Summary: Koushi Sugawara has the worst birthday ever.





	from the sideline

**Author's Note:**

> i just Had To write something for Suga's bday. ft Daichi giving him at the smooches he deserves.
> 
> this is my first haikyuu fic so i hope u guys enjoy.
> 
> edit: i posted this in a rush without a beta so i just now, a day later, got around to editing it

Sugawara Koushi has always watched life pass him by from the sidelines. By the very nature of his being, he’s pliant and soft; he allows himself to get benched or forgotten. It’s just how it is. He’s sweet, just like his namesake, even if it isn't his given. "The kindest person one will ever meet," his second year maths teacher had once said. It's his ultimate charm. His greatest weapon is his smile and his cheery outlook on life.

To Suga, this has always been a double-edged sword.  
  
His birthday falls nestled between the last fading bits of spring and the oncoming heat of summer. His birth month sings the song of June bugs and double rainbows and sweet sticky popsicles melting down, but not of his birthday. He never announces it. It is unimportant, almost like him.  
  
The thirteenth rolls around sooner than warranted and Suga wakes up that morning cocooned in a hot haze of sunshine. He's blissfully unaware of the fact that he was born this day, eighteen years ago, only to remember it when his mother slides in his doorway and proclaims it at the top of her lungs. She forces him out of bed to give him a hug, place a gentle kiss to the birthmark under his left eye, and nuzzle his unruly bed head into an even more disastrous state. To this, he simply smiles and gives ample thanks.  
  
He supposes that he gets his doting attitude from her.  
  
Suga leaves for practice early. The air is as thick as molasses and smells like fresh cut grass outside. He walks five blocks before his meets Daichi, gripping onto a canteen of coffee for his dear life.  
  
“Good morning,” Suga says, voice filled with honey  
  
As per usual, Daichi responds with a slight grunt and rubs his eyes, squinting against the harsh morning light. He’s not much of a morning person, never really has been, but he’ll never let it show around the first years. He’s not the type to expose his weaknesses, especially to his younger peers. He leads by example, and his example is strength. Only Suga is allowed to peer into the softer, less refined side of Sawamura Daichi. The thought makes his fickle heart hammer in his chest.  
  
Gusts of wind kick up a small cloud of dust outside the gym. A niggling sense in the back of his head tells Suga that he’s been forgotten.  
  
The other part of him struggles to rationalize. He’s sure he told Daichi the date of his birth, at least once. It had to have happened. There’s not a thing that he hasn’t shared with Daichi, he thinks. His racing pulse seems to be wrapped around Daichi finger. Every time he pulls, Suga follows. He’d follow Daichi to the ends of the earth. Daichi has to know. _He has to know._ Suga must’ve told Daichi his birthday.  
  
Just before they enter the gym together, Daichi gives him a small smile.  
  
Suga pockets it, like he has a million times before and stuffs away the thoughts of doubt. He saves it for when the hopelessness and uselessness catch up to him and mow him down like a blade of grass. He likes to think that those smiles are reserved just for him; that somewhere with Daichi, there’s a part of him labeled _Sugawara Koushi_ , no one else. It’s probably not true, but that thought is incredibly reassuring, especially when he watches from the sidelines.  
  
-  
  
Practice won’t let out for another two hours and Suga isn’t sure he can last another a second. His body is still going, strong and sure like it was trained to do, but his mind is racing at a thousand miles a minute.  
  
He’s been forgotten like he knew he would be. It shouldn’t bother him as much as it does, but that feeling that he gets when he watches Karasuno fly from the sidelines emerges in his gut and burns hotter than the summer heat. Through the open door, cicada calls resound over the pitch Ukai’s whistle, calling Asahi’s spike as out of bounds and giving points to the team opposite of Suga. Small pinpricks of tears tickle the corner of his eye.  
  
An unseen receive soars through the air and smacks Suga directly in the face, making him fall to his knees. It’s like adding insult to injury. He feels like collapsing to his knees.  
  
_Forgotten. Weak. Bench warmer. Just a friend, nothing more._  
  
That’s all Sugawara will ever be to the boys of Karasuno, even his beloved Daichi. He curses his ensnared heart and stands back up, a trickle of warmth dripping from his left nostril.  
  
The first one at his side is Daichi, of course. The rational part of him thinks it’s because Sawamura cares; the irrational part hisses out poison. Of course, he wouldn’t. _You’re nothing to him._  
  
Daichi’s brow pinches with concern as he grabs Suga by the shoulders. He blinks heavily, breath rattled with worry.  
  
“Koushi,” says he.  
  
Suga’s given name is whispered, not loud enough for any of their teammates to hear. It strikes a deep, low chord within him. His brain melts at the sound of it, how it rolls off of Daichi’s tongue in faint, husky breath.  
  
“I’m okay,” Suga replies, not being able to muster up a megawatt smile in order to reassure his ~~love, captain,~~ friend. There are too many gears turning in his head, too many separate thoughts to even worry about anyone else, for once. “I just need a tissue.”  
  
Ukai opens his mouth to interrupt. “Sugawara, I-”

  
“Please, just get me a tissue.” He gets the closest he’ll ever be to a complete snap of the tongue, his voice only raising a few decibels, but it’s enough to startle everyone on the court.  
  
No one has met this side of Suga yet, the side that lights fires in his stomach that can’t ever be put out. Sugawara Koushi of Karasuno is soft, sweet by nature of his position. This Suga, though, is angry, starving for someone to notice, or for the slightest touch of the ball.  
  
Hinata and Kageyama whip their heads up. Nishinoya doesn’t mask his shocked flinch. Asahi lets out the tiniest of nervous breaths. Tanaka goes bug-eyed. Ukai’s brow knits.  
  
“Please,” he repeats, voice terse.  
  
Hinata whispers something to Kageyama as Noya sprints away to go grab a tissue. Kageyama doesn’t even try to be discreet about his staring, straight into Suga’s eyes. The air grows tight and far too hot for anyone’s liking.  
  
The day will pass just like every day does. He will be forgotten, just like he is every day.  
  
-  
  
When practice ends, the sun is just starting to make a downward descent. Its rays creep shadows up the green trees and color them a light yellow. In the twinges of evening glow, everything looks warm. Daichi’s tanned skin glows. He talks to Asahi with an odd glint in his eyes. Surprisingly, Suga feels immensely better outside the tight confines of that gym. He breathes in the sweet summer air and lets his tense shoulders relax.  
  
They walk to the practice room together but Suga feels strangely left out. There’s tension, or anticipation hanging in Daichi’s every movement. When Suga runs his gaze over Daichi, he seems to careen with nervousness.  
  
A loon cries out, somewhere in the distance. A bright, beaming smile spreads over Daichi’s face and it’s like all of Suga’s worries just vanish into thin air. Daichi shines brighter than the sun.  
  
Asahi goes ahead, while Daichi stops. Suga, with his heart tied to Sawamura, stands in place.

  
“Daichi?” asks he.  
  
A light dust of pink covers the bridge of Daichi’s nose. It twinges orange under the setting sunlight. “Turn around, Suga,” he breathes, voice unsteady in a way that Suga has never heard before.  
  
A light giggle bursts from Suga’s lips. “Okay?” he lilts, pivoting on his heel.  
  
He feels a dark cloth being wrapped around his eyes and tied at the back of his head. Daichi lowers his mouth to Suga’s ear. “Let me guide you,” he whispers, barely audible over the sound of the cicadas’ song. The fire at the pit of his stomach burns so brightly, it feels as if it will burst.  
  
And because the Karasuno boys are a bit, as Tsukki would say, simple-minded and that it was Noya’s idea to use a blindfold before Daichi took Suga up the steps, Suga figures it all out. It’s a surprise. For him. For his birthday.  
  
Nevertheless, Daichi makes the perilous journey up the steps, leading a blind, giggling Suga with far too many wandering touches. Sugawara wonders if this is all just a dream that his mind had supplied after his face was slammed with the ball. Daichi’s laugh in his ear reminds him that he doesn’t care, as long as the warmth doesn’t disappear.  
  
They finally make it to the boy's volleyball club room and a bright, unending smile fills his face as Daichi lightly taps the door.  
  
There are hisses of laughter, a muffled _Shut the hell up, Hinata!_ , a bubbling giggle from Noya which is promptly hushed into silence by Asahi.  
  
Daichi kicks open the door and removes the blindfold in one swift motion. “Happy Birthday, Koushi,” he says in Suga’s ear. His tone is laden in silk and honey and soft enough for Suga to want to drown himself in it.  
  
“Surprise!” comes a chorus of voices.  
  
The sight before him brings a pinch of tears to the corner of his eyes.  
  
Everyone from the club is there, as well as a guest appearance Bokuto Koutaro and Kuroo Tetsurou  (probably Daichi’s doing). In the corner, Hinata sings along to pop song playing over a portable speaker. Nishinoya balances a rainbow of melting mochi balls. A sticky liquid drips off the plate and down his fingers. “Happy Birthday!” he proclaims through a mouthful of ice cream.  
  
What no one expects, even Suga himself, is for fast hot tears to come streaming down his face. He’s not sure what warranted it but he smiles, blinking as his vision continues to blur. “T-thank you,” he manages to stutter out. Everyone stares at him, save for Bokuto, who has busied himself with throwing small bits of confetti into Kuroo’s hair.  
  
“Suga, you didn’t think we forgot you, did you?” Ennoshita asks, tilting his head.  
  
Sugawara sniffs. He wipes away his tears with the back of his hand. “... I dunno just a little…”  
  
“Awe man, give your bo- Daichi some credit. He’d never forget about you and neither would the rest of these guys,” Bokuto pipes up, flicking the last handful of confetti directly into Kuroo’s face.  
  
Kuroo sneezes as a green fleck lands on his nose. “Yeah,” he tuts in agreement.  
  
Noya puts his platter down with a careless plunk and immediately takes Suga in his arms. “Sugaaaaaaa,” he cries out. “We love you.”  
  
Tanaka joins in with a rallying shout. “I love you, Suga!” he yells.  
  
“Suga, I love you!” Hinata parrot, attaching himself to Suga’s midsection. Eventually everyone joins in (even Tsukki with a little bit of push from Yamaguchi). Daichi presence looms the largest in Suga’s mind.  
  
“We love you, Suga,” his voice rumbles, pressed close against Suga’s back.  
  
Closing his eyes, Suga lets himself soak in the moment, lets himself feel important and loved. His stomach is impossibly warm, yet not too hot. He smiles and the pangs of being forgotten dissipate.  
  
-  
  
The thrown together gathering lasts far into the night. Sugawara over indulges in many things. He gets drunk off of Daichi’s smiles. He eats sweets until his hands are coated with the sugary remnants of all the goods the team had brought forth. He laughs until his sides are screaming at him to stop and still he drinks it all in.  
  
Bokuto and Kuroo prove to be the life of the party when they break out a game of Cards Against Humanity. Nishinoya, as expected, wins with a dozen black cards in hand, abruptly ending when Asahi asks “What’s pixelated bukkake?” and no one has the heart to tell him.  
  
The first years start to leave first at the moon crawls higher into the sky. Noya goes with Asahi, pressing closely into his side as they both stumble home with laughter. Tanaka get called home at 11:30, taking Ennoshita and the other second years with him. Only Kuroo and Bokuto remain behind, insisting that they play Suga in just one more round of Slapjack.  
  
At midnight, Kuroo lets out a loud yawn. “Shit,” says he, checking his phone, “Bo, we should start heading back.”  
  
“Hmm. You’re right,” Bokuto agrees once he sees the time. “We’re gonna get going, you two.”  
  
Daichi stands up from his spot on the floor. “Thank you for coming. I wasn’t sure you guys would even make the trip out,” he says, giving a small bow of gratitude.  
  
Bokuto laughs, throwing his head back and closing his eyes, He’s still full of energy even well into the night. It’s infectious. Suga finds himself giggling just the slightest as he stifles a yawn.  
  
“Of course! We wouldn’t miss it for the world!” he exclaims.  
  
“And I also needed to pay a visit to my aunt who lives nearby,” Kuroo adds on. A weird, sly smirk spread across his face. “Daichi told us that we had to come.”  
  
Streams of moonlight burst into the room as Bokuto opens the club door. Suga shoots a questioning gaze at Daichi. Even the silvery wash can’t hide the twinge of pink on his cheeks.  
  
Raising an impeccably sculpted eyebrow, Bokuto smiles. “Happy Birthday Sugawara… Oh and Daichi has something to tell you.”  
  
“What?!” both Suga and Daichi exclaim simultaneously. It’s no use, the pair has already left, winking at Daichi as they slam the door shut.  
  
Silence. The room fills with the sound of labored breath and faint cicada calls. The energy that Bokuto carries, seems to have left the room with him, leaving an exhausted Sugawara alone with the object of his deepest affections, standing there in front of him, blushing and biting his cheeks.  
  
“Sugawara,” Daichi starts, leaning just the slightest bit forward.  
  
“Koushi,” Suga corrects, because he wants to hear him say it. He wants to hear the deep, rich tones curl around his given name again. He never wants him to stop saying it.  
  
“Koushi…”  
  
For a boy of strong, confident words, Daichi is at a loss for what to say, but the pink on his cheeks and the sheen on his eyes let Suga know. The reflect the feelings that have burning so deeply in his gut for almost two years.  
  
Suga sighs, a shaking hand raising up grab Daichi’s bicep. He’s strong. His presence is firm. A breath escapes Sugawara’s parted lips.  
  
He’s tired of the sidelines, tired of just letting things happen and never taking for himself. He will not roll over, not this time at least.  
  
So he opens his mouth and spills his feelings as if he had been gutted.  
  
“Daichi, I know I’ve known you for three years now and I’ve seen you almost every day. We’ve spent so much time together and I know there’s so much you don’t say and I know I don’t know everything about you but-”  
  
He pauses, squeezes his eyes shut.  
  
“- I think I’m in love with you. And I want to get to know you even better and be closer because you’re handsome and amazing and you did this all just for me so please just…”  
They stare at each other for a long time. Suga can hear his heart hammering in his ears. The fire churns in his belly. He squirms, tries to gauge Daichi unreadable emotions.  
  
“... kiss me?”  
  
Suga’s voice squeaks but he doesn’t have time to mull it over because Daichi has wrapped his arms around his waist. A smile emerges on his lips and Suga pockets it, wanting to remember it for the rest of his life.  
  
The crickets chirp. Summer heat has melted into a cool Midnight breeze, but Sugawara doesn’t shiver; he’s warm. He’s safe in Daichi’s arms. He’s happy. He’s not forgotten.  
  
“I think I’m in love with you too, Koushi,” comes that rumbling voice, this time vibrating close to Suga’s chest, right against his heart that beats like hummingbird’s wings.  
  
Daichi takes Suga’s jaw into the palms of his hands. Suga lets his eyes fall shut and surrenders his trust, his heart, and all his hopes right into Daichi’s fingers.  
  
And they kiss.  
  
It’s slow and tentative at first. Their noses smush awkwardly and Daichi’s palms become slick with sweat, but they don’t part. It feels too good. Suga had waited far too long.  
  
He angles his head so that they fit comfortably together and the kiss melts into something much more. Fire burns in Suga’s stomach and he smiles on Daichi’s lips. He’s happy. He feels lighter than he did when he woke up.  
  
They part, only for the lack of breath control on both their parts. A stray beam of moonlight sneaks in through the window and turns Daichi’s soft gaze silver, round with awe and wonder.  
  
“Happy Birthday, Koushi,” he whispers. He swoops his head downward for another kiss.

Sugawara Koushi has the best birthday ever.

**Author's Note:**

> all reads, kudos, and/or comments are very much appreciated! thank you for reading!


End file.
